Miami Thanksgiving

I went to Miami for Thanksgiving this year! My mom and I, plus Debra, Lance, and Niecy, celebrated with our Miami family while my dad and Kevin went hunting. We went to the North Miami Thanksgiving Day Parade and feasted at my grandfather's house.

'Merica

This world's cutest turkey was not easy to wrangle, but we had a good time trying.

On Friday, my sister and fam had to head back to Dothan. To make the departure even sadder, I came down with a mysterious stomach bug late Thanksgiving night. We were supposed to have lunch at the beach before they left, but I couldn't even sit up for more than five minutes, or get very close to Niecy for her own safety. Thankfully, I'll see them again in just a few weeks!

By Saturday the worst was over, so my mom, uncle, and I went for a walk at the nearest beach. They practically jogged while I strolled at a slow pace. I took pictures and enjoyed the conversations of strangers. One lady was telling her companions animatedly, "I was watching Homeland until 11:30. I was so jacked, I had to take an Ambien." Which instantly became my new favorite catchphrase anytime something exciting happens.

Can you imagine living in a building like this on the beach? I might die of happiness.

On Sunday, we went to our usual bagel place for brunch, then to Miami Beach to rent bikes. They have a great bikesharing program with stations all around town. You pay for a certain amount of time and take a bike, which you can return at any station! We rode along South Beach and down to the cut where the cruise ships come and go. There are nice parks and paths there.

A LOT of stray cats (or as I called them, "sea cats") live in this area. Across the way is Fishers Island, one of the most exclusive communities in America. You can only get there by ferry.

One of my favorite downtown buildings! My uncle showed an apartment there recently. They start at $1 million. O_O

On the way back to the car, we rode through Flamingo Park. I went crazy over this beautiful tree.  Anyone know what kind it is? I don't remember it from my childhood.

Another notable sighting: what may well be THE LAST BLOCKBUSTER. Moment of silence.

We came home on Monday, and PS: ATL now has a Pinkberry!

 

The end.

Florida 2013 - Part 2

After lobstering in the Keys, my family spent the rest of our vacation in Miami. On Sunday my grandfather took us for a boat ride around the bay. We went by the ruins of our favorite restaurant, Shuckers, so I could see it with my own eyes and begin my healing process. The deck collapsed in June during a Miami Heat game, and there's no word on when or if it might reopen.

   

Our usual table was near the sea grape tree on the right. Sad times!

We've spent many afternoons at the sandbar in North Biscayne Bay. It was mobbed. I tried to imagine going to church on a Sunday morning, then, instead of going to lunch, inviting my friends to join me at the sandbar for some fried chicken and margaritas on the boat. What a life!

 

Later, my mom and I drove by our old house and my old elementary school! I had forgotten that they chose the tiger as our mascot in my last year there. Obviously being a Tiger has always been my destiny. :)

 

My mom discovered on this trip that her high school has been torn down! They built a new (huge) one across the street. This frog pond and empty field are all that remains. As we drove away, she mused, "Well, Dad did tell me a few times that they were going to tear it down... I guess I didn't want to hear it." LOL.

On our last morning, we went to the nearest beach, but couldn't swim because there were moon jellyfish everywhere. They migrate from August to October - this was never a problem when we used to visit in July. Some people were swimming and appeared fine, but as much as I wanted to get in the water, I just couldn't do it. The same thing has happened out on the reef. I tell myself, "So I might get stung! It won't be that bad!" Then once I'm surrounded by jellies, I practically have a panic attack. My dad insists that these are very mild, but I was stung by a box jellyfish a few years ago, so it's hard to overcome my sense of self-preservation. Eventually I'll run into one of these accidentally, and then they won't scare me anymore.

Here's a semi-panorama of the Haulover Cut. My uncle famously jumped into the fast-moving water from the bridge on a dare when he was in high school. Don't try this, kids.

Even though I love Memphis and have lived here for most of my life now, Florida will always be equally my home. I've finally embraced my dual citizenship and feel blessed to belong in two wonderful places - which have more in common than you'd think (this might be worth a post of its own). Miami is my roots, and Memphis is my branches.

Florida 2013 - Part 1

 

Surprise! I was just in South Florida for almost a week. My parents and I just got back to Memphis last night. As a reminder, both of my parents grew up in Miami (I lived there until the summer between fourth and fifth grades), and several of my relatives, including my two surviving grandparents, still live there. So I visit at least once a year - more often if I can swing it. This trip was our annual family pilgrimage to lobster dive in the Keys. My brother flew down too, but sadly Debra and her fam couldn't make it this year. I'm sure Niecy will be ready to catch lobster before we know it, though, so it's all good.

My parents, Kevin, my uncle, and I went to the Keys to visit another of my uncles. He and his wife live in Marathon, around the halfway point of the Keys. We stayed for two days and took a couple of lobstering trips on his boat. If you're not familiar with Florida lobster diving, check out my expository post from a couple of years back!

Traditionally, my dad's family will stop at nothing to limit out on lobster (6 per person per day). Last year they wouldn't give up until dark. But this year, the ocean was choppy and rough both days and the water visibility was the worst I'd ever experienced. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face. My role is usually to hover above the hole and go after any stragglers - I'm not good at staying down to coax the lobster out. So I was useless this year, and only caught one later in shallower water (and it wasn't a keeper). I didn't think much of the murky water at the time because we were all together, but later I realized it was really kind of dangerous. Kevin told me later that at one point swimming along the bottom, he thought "Well, I hope I don't run into Jaws." But this is par for the course for our family. :) Anyway, we didn't limit out, but we were close enough both days. I came home with a dozen lobster. Yay!

 
 

One night we went to a restaurant I hadn't been to before, Burdines, on the ocean side. (Not to be confused with the old Florida department store of the same name.) It was probably one of the top ten meals of my life!! I had the Slider Trio - a bacon cheeseburger, a chicken florentine burger, and a shrimp burger. Kevin and I shared a fried key lime pie for dessert. I WILL BE BACK. And between times, I will learn to make a chicken florentine burger.

 

Shells at my uncle's apartment 

 
My mom and me with a giant lobster in Islamorada 

On Saturday, we drove back north to Key Largo to see Dale and Gayle. They were my parents' best friends when we lived in Miami, and are still like family to all of us. They took us out on their boat to eat at Sundowners (another place I hadn't been). Then we hung out at their place and swam in the canal behind the house. I paddleboarded for the first time and LOVED it. If I lived in a coastal area, I'd paddleboard all the time! After that we ate key lime pie from Publix, and Gayle taught me how to do "Cups" from the Pitch Perfect movie. It was probably my favorite day of the vacation.

More tomorrow!

Gulf Coast Beach Trip

(that's me in the water)

Last weekend I went to Panama City Beach with my sister, BIL, and niece! A couple they know in Dothan has a condo at the beach and kindly offered to let us use it. So I flew down (from Nashville) on Friday, and Debra, Lance, and Niecy met me there.

 

 

Unfortunately, our weekend quickly started to resemble a Griswold family vacation. Both my incoming and outgoing flights were three hours late. The weather was fairly stormy (although we enjoyed a few pockets of sunshine). We couldn't swim very much due to DOUBLE red flags on Saturday - I had never seen this sign before:

We did go to the pool and pose on the beach, though!

On Saturday, Debra and Lance both got really sick. We suspect food poisoning because Niecy and I never caught it, but we also ate a lot of the same things, so it doesn't make much sense either way. I felt SO terrible for them. We actually closed up the condo and went back to Dothan on Saturday night. Sunday was supposed to be Debra's and my Hermanas Only day at the beach, so I was really sad and disappointed.

On the plus side, I got some fun bonding time with Niecy that I wouldn't have had otherwise. She's at a really fun age. I already miss her, but thankfully she and Debra are coming to visit in a few weeks.

By Sunday morning Debra had made a miraculous recovery! So she and I went back to PCB and had our day together after all. We went to the pier, which was lovely.

This sign cracked me up:

And then it was beach time, during which WE SAW DOLPHINS! I didn't attempt to take pictures of them, but there was a large pod about 100 yards offshore. I was ecstatic. I've only visited the Gulf about five times, but I've seen dolphins every time.

So the vacation ended well, and since I was blessedly not sick, I was able to stick to my plan of spending Sunday night with my college BFF Emily and her family in the Nashville area. We went to lunch and hung out yesterday before I headed home, and I spent some quality time with all of her kids, including her new baby. Two birds! One stone!

And now it's a VERY short work week. Yay!